Studies on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and panic disorder, among others, also found alterations in various parts of the brain following CBT treatment. A similar study on social phobia found that CBT decreased activity in brain areas related to fear and threat. For example, in a study on CBT for PTSD, participants who had CBT treatment showed increased brain activity in areas related to social cognition-encompassing emotions such as forgiveness and empathy. Researchers concluded that CBT treatment modifies the neural circuits involved in regulating fear and other negative emotions. And researchers have discovered that in the process, people’s brains and nervous systems actually change.Ī 2009 review looked at 13 studies that used neuroimaging to investigate how CBT affects brain circuits and function. The goal is to consciously activate positive thoughts and behaviors until these responses become more automatic. ![]() Carlson, PhD, principal investigator and director of research, Psychosocial Resources Department, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta, Canada Cognitive Behavior Therapy and the Mind-Body ConnectionĪs another example of the mind-body connection, neuroimaging research has shown that talk therapy-specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-can significantly alter the way the brain works.ĬBT focuses on teaching individuals how to identify and change thought patterns. “We already know that psychosocial interventions like mindfulness meditation will help you feel better mentally, but now for the first time we have evidence that they can also influence key aspects of your biology.” ![]() Shortened telomeres are associated with disease, while longer ones protect against disease. ![]() A control group did neither.Īs a result, researchers found that the groups that meditated or went to a support group had longer telomeres-protein complexes at the end of chromosomes-than the control group. One section of study participants lowered their stress by either practicing mindfulness meditation or attending a support group. One breakthrough study looked at the impact of the mind-body connection on a group of breast cancer survivors. Moreover, research has found that talk therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can strengthen cell function and therefore enhance the body’s ability to fight disease. In addition, when individuals are stressed, they heal more slowly and vaccinations are less effective. In one study, researchers found that stress diminishes white blood cell response to infected cells and cancer cells. Studies have also determined that stressful emotions decrease immunity by altering blood cell function. “According to the mind–body or biopsychosocial paradigm, which supersedes the older biomedical model, there is no real division between mind and body because of networks of communication that exist between the brain and neurological, endocrine and immune systems.” -Oakley Ray, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University Stress and Physical Health: An Evidence-Based Link These findings illuminate how mental states, such as stress and depression, can influence organ function. In fact, researchers have identified the actual neural networks that connect the cerebral cortex to the adrenal medulla, which actives the body’s response in stressful situations. Jennifer Weinberg, MD, MPH, MBE, a preventive and lifestyle medicine physician, describes the brain as “the hardware” that allows us to experience the thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions that we collectively call the “mind.”Ĭommunication happens via chemical and physical messengers, such as hormones and neurotransmitters. While we still don’t understand everything about the mind-body connection, scientists are discovering some of the ways in which communication occurs. The Biochemistry of the Mind-Body Connection If you’ve ever felt your stomach tighten up when you were anxious, you’ve experienced the mind-body connection. ![]() With all of these factors combined, they play a major role in influencing our stress and physical health. Our chemistry and biology impact our mood and emotions, as well as thoughts and beliefs. Physical health and emotional health are intimately intertwined in what’s known as the mind-body connection. The mind and the body are not two separate entities-although they are often treated that way.
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